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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.

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: patient · pound · pitch · rash · court · bark · lean · track

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. track — a path
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. court — of a king
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — a song
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rash — a series
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lean — thin
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. track — to keep track

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