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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 120 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: object · lean · kick · bound · land · pitch · wound · pop

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. object — a thing
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. land — a country
  8. lean — thin
  9. object — an aim
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. kick — in football
  15. land — ground
  16. bound — obliged
  17. land — to come down
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bound — certain
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. object — to protest
  24. pitch — completely

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