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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: bound · patient · roll · jam · track · game · suit · plane

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. track — a path
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. game — a match
  6. bound — tied together
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. roll — a cake
  9. suit — in cards
  10. game — wild animals
  11. track — a song
  12. bound — certain
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. suit — to fit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — obliged
  19. suit — clothes
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. track — to keep track
  23. plane — a tool
  24. roll — on a roll

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