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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: key · stick · rest · band · ground · bat · patient · bound

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a ring
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — a break
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — obliged
  16. key — in music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ground — a position
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — tied together
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — the most important part
  24. band — a music group

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