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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 · calf · pound · patient · pop · bore · snap

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. snap — to click
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pound — a weight
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pop — music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pop — soda
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bound — certain
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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