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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · mouse · patient · jam · kick · mine · club · pitcher

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. track — a path
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kick — in football
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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