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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.

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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: fine · patient · trunk · pitch · bound · cue · scale · board

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. board — a committee
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fine — all right
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fine — high quality
  16. board — to get on
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bound — certain

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