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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: row · straw · pound · track · patient · face · game · fine

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. game — wild animals
  3. row — to paddle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. face — to confront
  8. fine — high quality
  9. game — a match
  10. row — a line
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — a path
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fine — all right
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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