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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: pit · pound · scale · suit · key · clip · wind · patient

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pit — a hole
  3. key — the most important part
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. scale — in music
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pit — in a race
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. key — in music
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pound — a weight
  17. clip — a video
  18. suit — to fit
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — size or range
  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