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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · bound · mouse · capital · fall · band · patient · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bound — tied together
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. capital — money
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. capital — a city
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cue — a signal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — a hint

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