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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: ball · bay · track · spring · fine · net · toast · patient

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. net — for catching
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. track — a song
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fine — all right
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spring — the season
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. fine — high quality
  16. track — a path
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spring — of water
  21. net — after costs
  22. toast — bread
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. net — in sport

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