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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 · kid · pound · staff · suit · bank · pass · pop

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. staff — employees
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bank — of a river
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pop — soda
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bank — for money
  10. kid — child
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. staff — employees
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pound — a weight
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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