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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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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: swing · bound · ground · saw · board · patient · wound · key

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. key — in music
  4. board — a committee
  5. bound — certain
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. board — to get on
  10. swing — music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. key — for a lock
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. swing — in golf
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ground — crushed
  24. key — the most important part

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