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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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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: bound · present · deal · rock · game · cap · patient · saw

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. game — a match
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cap — a lid
  7. present — a gift
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. game — wild animals
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bound — certain
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bound — tied together
  17. present — there
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. deal — to handle
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. patient — a sick person

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