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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: branch · patient · bore · bowl · spell · field · bulb · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bound — certain
  11. field — a subject
  12. spell — magic
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spell — letters
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. branch — a division
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — a sick person

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