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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
468
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: row · bound · key · patient · pound · firm · coach · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. key — in music
  5. firm — decided
  6. row — to paddle
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. firm — steady
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. key — for a lock
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. row — a line
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bound — certain
  24. firm — a company

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