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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 · ground · bass · pitch · bowl · can · wind · bear

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — a position
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bass — low music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitch — completely
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wind — moving air

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