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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · bay · bear · hand · land · pitcher · pound · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bear — the animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hand — in cards
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — a country
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — help
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. land — ground
  19. bear — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bay — a horse colour

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