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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.

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: rash · ground · club · pound · patient · hide · date · track

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. track — a song
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ground — a position
  12. track — a path
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rash — hasty
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rash — a series
  22. ground — crushed
  23. club — for golf
  24. hide — to keep secret

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