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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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. band — a music group
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wind — moving air
  6. band — a ring
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. track — a song
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. suit — to fit
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wind — moving air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. track — a path

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