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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: straw · board · kid · pitch · ruler · patient · dip · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bound — tied together
  4. dip — to sink
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. board — a committee
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. kid — child
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kid — to tease
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pitch — completely
  23. board — to get on
  24. patient — a sick person

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