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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 · jam · present · object · coach · pound · patient · date

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bound — tied together
  3. object — to protest
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — certain
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — a thing
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bound — obliged
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. present — there
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. date — on the calendar

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