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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: ground · degree · rock · race · bulb · pound · pass · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rock — a stone
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. race — the arms race
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. race — a contest
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — humankind

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