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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.

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: racket · fine · craft · patient · bound · file · fall · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — certain
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bound — obliged
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fall — to drop
  14. file — a document
  15. bound — tied together
  16. craft — boats
  17. file — a line of people
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fall — the season
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — a skill
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fine — high quality

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