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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: mouse · patient · present · cap · date · firm · bound · land

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. present — the time now
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. firm — a company
  9. land — to come down
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. land — a country
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. firm — decided
  22. bound — obliged
  23. firm — steady
  24. mouse — the animal

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