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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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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: suit · track · current · date · spell · patient · perch · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. current — of water
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. current — happening now
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spell — letters
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spell — magic
  11. suit — to fit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — in cards
  15. current — electric
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — a song
  21. date — the fruit
  22. spell — a short time
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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