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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: last · season · rush · ground · tube · pass · patient · pitcher

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. last — final
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. last — finally
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ground — a position
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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