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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: track · racket · key · rest · branch · mine · mate · patient

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. track — a path
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. track — a song
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — in music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mate — a partner
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — a friend
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — a break
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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