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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: net · mug · pound · wound · pop · leaves · row · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pop — music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. net — after costs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mug — a face
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mug — to rob
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — to visit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. net — for catching
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — soda
  22. net — in sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mug — a cup

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