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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: mark · march · fall · bound · pass · patient · game · charge

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bound — certain
  3. charge — electricity
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mark — a grade
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. game — a match
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — wild animals
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. charge — in control
  15. pass — a permit
  16. march — music
  17. fall — the season
  18. bound — tied together
  19. march — the month
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mark — a trace

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