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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 116 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: bound · coach · march · patient · pound · wake · board · pitch

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. bound — certain
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — the month
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. board — to get on
  24. coach — a trainer

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