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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: content · firm · object · perch · sharp · patient · pass · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. firm — steady
  4. sharp — clever
  5. firm — decided
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pass — a permit
  8. object — an aim
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. firm — a company
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. content — the amount
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — to protest
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. content — happy
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. object — a thing
  24. perch — for a bird

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