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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 116 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: snap · bulb · content · bound · pitcher · racket · patient · bore

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. content — the amount
  3. bound — certain
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bound — obliged
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to tire
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. content — happy
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. snap — to click

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