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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: pound · race · rock · drill · bound · racket · patient · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rock — music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pass — a permit
  8. race — a contest
  9. bound — tied together
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. drill — army training
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bound — certain
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. race — humankind
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. race — the arms race

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