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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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468
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: club · pitch · face · tube · spell · fine · patient · pound

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pound — a weight
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — to confront
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fine — high quality
  11. face — to point toward
  12. club — for golf
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fine — all right
  15. club — a group
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. spell — magic
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. face — part of the head
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — completely

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