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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
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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 · date · patient · pound · object · bound · jam · foot

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bound — certain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bound — obliged
  13. foot — a measure
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pound — a weight
  17. object — to protest
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. date — the fruit
  23. object — a thing
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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