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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: patient · mine · ground · pit · can · bore · bound · object

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. object — an aim
  3. ground — crushed
  4. object — a thing
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ground — a position
  9. bound — certain
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bound — obliged
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pit — in a race
  23. object — to protest
  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