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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: toast · leaves · track · land · patient · roll · court · rule

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — to come down
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. track — a song
  8. court — for sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. roll — a list
  12. court — of a king
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. land — ground
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rule — government
  17. roll — a cake
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. track — to keep track
  20. court — of law
  21. land — a country
  22. track — a path
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. leaves — lets stay

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