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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: patient · tear · can · cue · bear · bowl · track · date

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. track — to keep track
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cue — a hint
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a path
  14. tear — from crying
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. tear — from crying
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cue — for pool

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