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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: prune · file · patient · cue · perch · sharp · board · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cue — a hint
  4. file — a tool
  5. cue — for pool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. file — a line of people
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. board — a committee
  10. cue — a signal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. prune — to trim
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. board — to get on
  21. sharp — clever
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. file — a document

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