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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 120 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
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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: patient · pound · track · cue · leaves · can · rule · bowl

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cue — a hint
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a path
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — a signal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pound — a weight
  11. track — a song
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rule — a law
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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