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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 120 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 · patient · prune · object · saw · chip · coach

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — of a word
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. object — a thing
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. root — the cause
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. object — to protest
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — certain

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