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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 120 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: ground · bore · pass · pound · sharp · bass · mark · patient

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bore — to drill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ground — a position
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bass — low music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pass — a permit

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