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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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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 · ground · firm · kick · rock · pop · pound · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rock — music
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. firm — steady
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — a position
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. firm — decided
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pop — soda
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — the earth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kick — in football
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. firm — a company
  24. pound — for dogs

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