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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: patient · pitch · bound · racket · bark · pass · spell · mark

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitch — completely
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pass — a permit
  14. spell — letters
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bark — to shout
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mark — a trace
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spell — magic
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bound — certain

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