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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: leaves · patient · snap · field · track · band · pass · club

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pass — a permit
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. field — for sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. track — a path
  10. snap — to click
  11. band — a ring
  12. track — to keep track
  13. band — a music group
  14. field — farmland
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. club — for golf
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. field — a subject
  20. track — a song
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. club — a group
  24. patient — a sick person

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