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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: bear · pop · track · band · patient · lie · club · rush

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. pop — soda
  2. club — for golf
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. track — a song
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. track — to keep track
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. club — a group
  21. band — a ring
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a path
  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