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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: snap · track · ball · pitcher · foot · rock · patient · rush

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. track — to keep track
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ball — a dance
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. track — a path
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. snap — to click
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. track — a song

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