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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: mark · patient · fine · row · hand · bulb · pop · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hand — help
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pop — soda
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pop — music
  12. track — a path
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a grade
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fine — all right
  18. row — a line
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. row — to paddle
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. track — to keep track
  24. patient — a sick person

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