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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rule — a law
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — a group
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — for dancing
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for golf
  11. rule — government
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. field — farmland
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bank — for money
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. field — for sport
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bank — for money

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