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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · row · pass · mouse · date · land · mark · field

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. field — a subject
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. field — for sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mark — a grade
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. land — to come down
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. date — the fruit
  21. field — farmland
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pass — a permit

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