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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · pound · bay · hide · patient · present · game · bass

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. present — there
  5. bass — the fish
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — the time now
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. present — a gift
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. game — a match
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bass — low music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wound — an injury
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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