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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: suit · band · rock · court · present · jam · patient · track

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. track — a path
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. court — of a king
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — there
  16. court — for sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. track — a song
  19. band — a ring
  20. court — of law
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rock — a stone
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rock — music

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