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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: leaves · pound · track · patient · rash · capital · pitcher · cue

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. track — a path
  3. capital — money
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cue — a signal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. track — a song
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rash — a series
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cue — for pool
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. capital — a city
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. capital — a big letter

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