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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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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: degree · cue · patient · pound · pass · wound · calf · bay

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. degree — an amount
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wound — an injury
  10. degree — temperature
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cue — a signal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wound — an injury

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