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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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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: game · patient · stem · swing · bound · file · key · track

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. swing — to play on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stem — to come from
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — to keep track
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. track — a song
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bound — tied together
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. track — a path
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stem — of a plant

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