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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: bound · patient · dip · prune · pitcher · pound · vault · coach

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bound — certain
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pound — a weight
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — tied together
  24. dip — to dunk

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