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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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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: pound · jam · fine · rule · patient · clip · mate · shower

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rule — government
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. shower — rain
  12. fine — all right
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mate — a partner
  15. clip — a video
  16. rule — a law
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mate — a friend
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fine — high quality
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. clip — to cut
  24. jam — in traffic

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