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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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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: row · rest · pound · wind · bass · pitch · patient · band

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a music group
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. band — a ring
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. row — a line
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bass — low music
  24. pound — a weight

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