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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: patient · track · lie · game · pit · nail · mug · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — to recline
  6. track — a path
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. game — a match
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — a partner
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pit — in a race
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mate — a friend

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