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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 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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. present — the time now
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — a path
  6. pop — to visit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. court — of a king
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. present — there
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. court — for sport
  16. pop — soda
  17. row — a line
  18. pop — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. track — a song
  21. row — to paddle
  22. present — a gift
  23. pound — a weight
  24. court — of law

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