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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. net — for catching
  3. season — in sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. field — farmland
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mug — a face
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. net — after costs
  11. season — of the year
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. net — in sport
  15. field — for sport
  16. mug — to rob
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. field — a subject

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