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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: board · patient · band · degree · mouse · sharp · root · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bound — tied together
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. band — a music group
  13. degree — an amount
  14. root — of a word
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. degree — temperature
  19. board — to get on
  20. band — a ring
  21. root — the cause
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. board — a committee

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