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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: mine · patient · fork · bound · roll · rash · rock · pass

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rock — music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mine — for digging
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rash — a series
  16. pass — a permit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — obliged
  19. roll — a list
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — to move gently

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