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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: mate · pitch · pound · bulb · stand · bound · field · leaves

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. field — a subject
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. field — for sport
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. field — farmland
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stand — to bear
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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