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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: file · rock · bear · patient · fork · cue · craft · track

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. file — a line of people
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. file — a document
  10. track — to keep track
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cue — a signal
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. file — a tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. craft — a skill
  21. track — a path
  22. fork — in a road
  23. track — a song
  24. rock — a stone

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