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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
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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: stick · court · patient · rush · present · date · track · lean

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. track — a path
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lean — to bend
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. date — the fruit
  8. court — of a king
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. track — a song
  11. present — a gift
  12. lean — thin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. court — of law
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. court — for sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. present — there

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