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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: ball · patient · pop · pass · fan · suit · bound · field

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. suit — to fit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pop — soda
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bound — certain
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — tied together
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pop — music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. field — for sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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