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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bass — low music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pound — a weight
  7. file — a document
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the fish
  10. file — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mine — for digging
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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