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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: pop · wake · suit · bat · patient · tube · rock · track

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bat — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pop — soda
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tube — a container
  17. pop — music
  18. track — a path
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wake — a trail
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pop — to visit

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