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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: stand · trunk · pitch · bound · bore · bowl · patient · band

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stand — to bear
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. band — a ring
  24. pitch — a sports field

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