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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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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 · bass · pop · patient · lean · firm · drill · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — to bend
  4. drill — army training
  5. mug — a face
  6. bass — the fish
  7. drill — the tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. lean — thin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. firm — a company
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ground — a position
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pop — to visit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — steady
  21. pop — soda
  22. bass — low music
  23. pop — music
  24. ground — the earth

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