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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: patient · plane · suit · jam · net · fine · date · bound

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — high quality
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. net — after costs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bound — certain
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fine — all right
  9. bound — obliged
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. date — the fruit
  15. suit — to fit
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bound — tied together
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. net — in sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — a tool
  23. suit — clothes
  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