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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 · bay · rash · degree · squash · last · pound · pass

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. degree — temperature
  11. last — finally
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. squash — the sport
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pound — for dogs

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