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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · bulb · kick · patient · coach · spell · bowl · mate

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. track — to keep track
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. track — a path
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. track — a song
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — magic
  22. mate — a friend
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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