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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: patient · can · pitch · pound · kid · capital · board · bound

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. board — to get on
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bound — tied together
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitch — completely
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. can — a tin
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pound — a weight
  20. capital — a city
  21. kid — child
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. board — a committee
  24. capital — money

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