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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: rule · craft · can · tube · game · track · deal · patient

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. game — a match
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. deal — to handle
  5. track — a song
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. can — a tin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. track — a path
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. rule — government
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rule — a law
  24. tube — in a tire

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