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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — a path
  3. object — to protest
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. net — in sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mark — a grade
  14. object — a thing
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pound — a weight
  20. object — an aim
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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