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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: coach · sharp · bound · prune · pitch · patient · season · stick

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — tied together
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. season — in sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. season — of the year
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bound — certain
  19. sharp — clever
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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