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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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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: fall · pop · track · chip · bound · foot · patient · prune

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. chip — in a computer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pop — soda
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chip — for betting
  11. foot — a measure
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. track — a path
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pop — to visit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — obliged
  21. track — a song
  22. pop — music
  23. fall — the season
  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