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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: track · spring · jam · patient · pitcher · ground · chip · craft

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ground — crushed
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spring — the season
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — a path
  13. ground — a position
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ground — the earth
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. craft — boats
  22. chip — to eat
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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