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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bulb · patient · prune · chair · racket · bark · cap

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bark — to shout
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cap — a lid
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cap — of ice
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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