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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 116 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 · patient · row · mark · net · band · ruler · degree

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — obliged
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mark — a trace
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. row — a line
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — tied together
  13. band — a music group
  14. mark — a grade
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. band — a ring
  18. bound — certain
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. net — for catching
  24. degree — from a university

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