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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: capital · snap · press · wake · pitch · bound · patient · chip

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — to eat
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. press — to push
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. snap — to click
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bound — obliged
  18. capital — money
  19. bound — tied together
  20. capital — a city
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wake — a trail
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. capital — a big letter

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