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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: last · patient · track · tube · suit · deal · cap · rash

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. suit — clothes
  5. last — to go on
  6. tube — a container
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rash — hasty
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rash — a series
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. last — final
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. deal — to handle
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cap — a lid
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. track — a song
  24. last — finally

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