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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: patient · pit · pound · mouse · bound · track · wind · jam

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. track — a path
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pit — in a race
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bound — certain
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pound — to hit hard

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