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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: key · wind · patient · pound · mark · pass · root · fine

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wind — moving air
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — of a word
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. key — in music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — high quality
  13. root — the cause
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fine — all right
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. key — for a lock

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