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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: field · rash · can · track · bound · bulb · mine · patient

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. track — a path
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — a tin
  10. bound — certain
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — tied together
  13. field — a subject
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mine — for digging
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bound — obliged
  24. track — a song

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