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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: calf · bound · wound · pitch · suit · patient · ball · snap

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. suit — in cards
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bound — tied together
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — to fit
  19. snap — to click
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pitch — completely
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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