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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: firm · bowl · craft · tear · bound · patient · content · rock

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tear — from crying
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. tear — from crying
  7. content — the amount
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bound — certain
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bound — obliged
  13. content — happy
  14. firm — decided
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bound — tied together
  18. firm — a company
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rock — music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. firm — steady

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