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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: fork · bulb · patient · wound · pound · stand · race · swing

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. swing — in golf
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. swing — music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wound — an injury
  22. race — humankind
  23. fork — in a road
  24. race — a contest

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