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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 · kick · pitch · band · wound · object · rock · jam

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. band — a music group
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitch — completely
  11. band — a ring
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kick — in football
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — music
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rock — a stone

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