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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.

Make a worksheet

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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rest — a break
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bass — low music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. field — for sport
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. field — a subject
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — to protest
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wound — an injury
  19. field — farmland
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. object — a thing
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. object — an aim
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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