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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · mouse · cell · ground · ball · bore · bound · pit

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. ground — a position
  24. patient — a sick person

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