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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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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: rule · firm · bound · kid · patient · swing · racket · can

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bound — obliged
  3. firm — a company
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kid — to tease
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. can — to be able to
  9. swing — to play on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bound — certain
  15. kid — child
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rule — government
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — to rule out

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