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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: fork · patient · bound · mine · track · mark · charge · safe

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mine — for digging
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. charge — a price
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bound — certain
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fork — in a road
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — a path
  24. fork — a garden tool

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