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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · fork · ruler · saw · roll · patient · bound · field

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — certain
  4. fork — in a road
  5. field — a subject
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — for sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — a list
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. field — farmland
  18. roll — a cake
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com