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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: bound · pitch · tear · coach · bulb · ball · patient · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. race — humankind
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a dance
  10. tear — from crying
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bound — certain
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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