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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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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 · club · wax · kick · pitch · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitch — completely
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — to grow
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. club — for dancing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kick — in football
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. club — for golf
  18. 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