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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: coach · patient · rest · fine · march · chip · bound · rash

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rest — what's left
  14. march — the month
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — a break

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