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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 116 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: bear · pitch · rest · race · pop · patient · mark · pound

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rest — a break
  18. race — a contest
  19. pop — music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rest — what's left

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