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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: bound · current · sharp · rule · scale · deal · field · patient

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. field — a subject
  7. bound — obliged
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bound — tied together
  10. scale — size or range
  11. current — of water
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. current — happening now
  17. scale — in music
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. current — electric
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. scale — for weighing

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