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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: shower · patient · rule · bound · pitch · suit · march · trunk

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — government
  3. shower — rain
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pitch — completely
  7. suit — in cards
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. march — music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. march — the month
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. suit — clothes
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rule — a law
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bound — certain
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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