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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. field — for sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. field — a subject
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — to bear
  16. field — farmland
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bowl — to roll

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