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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: net · rock · calf · date · patient · season · track · suit

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — of the year
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rock — music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. track — a song
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. suit — clothes
  13. net — in sport
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. season — in sport
  18. suit — to fit
  19. track — a path
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — a stone
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. date — on the calendar

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