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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 116 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: patient · ball · object · sharp · track · rock · craft · fine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. object — to protest
  3. track — a path
  4. craft — boats
  5. rock — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fine — high quality
  9. object — a thing
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. track — a song
  15. rock — a stone
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — an aim
  21. sharp — clever
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. track — to keep track

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