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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 120 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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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: last · degree · bound · patient · chip · key · spring · stand

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spring — of water
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stand — to bear
  8. last — final
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. degree — an amount
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — certain
  13. last — to go on
  14. key — in music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. last — finally
  18. chip — for betting
  19. key — for a lock
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spring — the season
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bound — obliged

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