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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — a weight
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. field — farmland
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — for sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. field — a subject
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bore — to drill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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