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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 · jam · stick · prune · wound · pound

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pound — a weight
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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