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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: band · mug · patient · court · temple · bound · scale · suit

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. band — a music group
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a ring
  4. mug — to rob
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. scale — in music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. suit — clothes
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bound — tied together
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mug — a cup
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. court — for sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bound — certain
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mug — a face
  23. suit — to fit
  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