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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
468
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: ground · can · patient · file · club · calf · track · rush

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — to be able to
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. track — a path
  11. ground — a position
  12. club — for dancing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. file — a document
  15. club — for golf
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — crushed
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. club — a group
  24. rush — hurry

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