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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: ball · season · cue · bound · patient · stock · club · toast

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — shares
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. season — in sport
  12. cue — a hint
  13. toast — bread
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stock — goods
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. ball — a great time
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cue — for pool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. season — of the year

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