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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: content · row · rock · patient · calf · track · hand · pitcher

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. row — to paddle
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. track — a path
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. content — happy
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. row — a line
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — a stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rock — music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitcher — a jug

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