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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
468
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: fan · pound · mouse · pitch · ground · patient · fine · date

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fine — all right
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pound — a weight
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ground — crushed
  21. date — the fruit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fan — to cool the air

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