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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — to keep track
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. craft — boats
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. craft — a skill
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. object — to protest
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person

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