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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: patient · mark · fine · track · jam · spring · bulb · land

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. land — to come down
  6. track — a path
  7. land — ground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fine — all right
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mark — a grade
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spring — the season
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. land — a country

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