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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 · object · branch · mate · bound · game · bulb · track

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. object — an aim
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mate — to breed
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. game — a match
  11. track — to keep track
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — tied together
  14. track — a song
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. track — a path
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — certain
  24. branch — a division

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