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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: stand · patient · bowl · game · kid · current · dip · bound

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. current — of water
  5. game — wild animals
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kid — child
  12. stand — to bear
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. dip — to sink
  16. current — happening now
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — electric
  19. game — a match
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stand — on your feet

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