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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. craft — a skill
  6. last — to go on
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tube — a container
  9. chip — to eat
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. track — a song
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. track — a path
  18. sharp — clever
  19. craft — boats
  20. chip — for betting
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. tube — in a tire

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