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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 120 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: net · patient · bay · track · pitcher · mug · saw · ruler

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. track — to keep track
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — a path
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. net — after costs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a face
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — a song
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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