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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 · wave · land · sharp · game · track · patient · pop

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. land — a country
  3. pop — soda
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. toast — bread
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. land — ground
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. pop — to visit
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. game — wild animals
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. land — to come down

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