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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 · patient · pass · prune · bound · present · swing · track

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. swing — music
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. present — the time now
  8. bound — tied together
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bound — certain
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — obliged
  16. present — there
  17. track — a song
  18. present — a gift
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pound — a weight
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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