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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: season · fork · patient · staff · saw · track · leaves · drill

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. staff — employees
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. track — a path
  13. staff — a stick
  14. season — of the year
  15. drill — the tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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