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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 120 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 · bass · craft · patient · rock · key · march · stick

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rock — a stone
  3. march — the month
  4. track — a song
  5. bass — low music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — the month
  14. key — for a lock
  15. track — a path
  16. march — music
  17. key — in music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. track — to keep track
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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