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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — in a road
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wax — to grow
  15. track — a path
  16. band — a music group
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ball — a great time
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ball — a dance
  21. track — a song
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. band — a ring
  24. rush — hurry

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