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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 116 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: tube · ball · mark · bound · patient · hand · bowl · net

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — certain
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. net — for catching
  10. mark — a grade
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ball — a great time
  21. net — after costs
  22. tube — a container
  23. net — in sport
  24. bowl — a dish

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