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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 116 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: wind · pitch · mug · straw · pass · ground · tube · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wind — moving air
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. ground — a position
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ground — crushed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. tube — a container
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — the underground

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