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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: bound · root · field · hide · saw · board · season · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bound — tied together
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. board — a committee
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. root — of a word
  10. field — a subject
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. root — the cause
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. root — of a plant
  24. field — farmland

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