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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 120 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 · degree · pitcher · plane · band · patient · saw · rule

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — government
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. track — to keep track
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. degree — from a university
  9. band — a music group
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. track — a path
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. degree — temperature
  18. track — a song
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rule — a law
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a ring
  24. patient — a sick person

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