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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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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 · tear · patient · pitch · ball · field · wind · bank

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — for sport
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. field — farmland
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bank — for money
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tear — from crying
  16. field — a subject
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bound — certain
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ball — a great time
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wind — moving air

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