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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: foot · nail · bound · squash · date · patient · firm · pound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. firm — decided
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bound — certain
  21. firm — steady
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. firm — a company
  24. squash — to crush

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