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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: patient · suit · pit · pound · squash · spring · foot · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. suit — clothes
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. squash — to crush
  8. band — a ring
  9. suit — in cards
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pound — a weight
  14. spring — of water
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. spring — the season
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pit — in a race
  19. foot — a measure
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. suit — to fit
  23. squash — the sport
  24. patient — a sick person

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