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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: field · content · pit · rush · rock · pound · patient · shower

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pit — in a race
  3. content — happy
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pit — a hole
  6. shower — rain
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. field — farmland
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. content — the amount
  12. rock — a stone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — a subject
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. shower — to wash
  22. field — for sport
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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