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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: chip · club · cap · trunk · court · bound · roll · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. court — of a king
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bound — certain
  9. roll — a list
  10. chip — to eat
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — for sport
  13. roll — a cake
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. club — for golf
  17. chip — for betting
  18. court — of law
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bound — obliged

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