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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: track · season · foot · patient · content · vault · cue · race

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. track — a song
  10. race — the arms race
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cue — a hint
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. track — to keep track
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. race — humankind
  17. vault — a safe
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. race — a contest
  22. content — the amount
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. content — happy

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