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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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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — finally
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. field — farmland
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. last — to go on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stand — to bear
  15. field — for sport
  16. last — final
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. field — a subject
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mug — a cup
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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