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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 116 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: kid · pitcher · leaves · pit · patient · key · track · pound

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — a path
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. kid — to tease
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pit — a hole
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — to keep track
  17. kid — child
  18. track — a song
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pound — a weight
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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