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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.

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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: root · fork · stand · cue · track · patient · mouse · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cue — for pool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. root — of a word
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. track — a path
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. last — finally
  14. root — of a plant
  15. track — a song
  16. last — to go on
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stand — to bear
  22. root — the cause
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fork — a garden tool

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