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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rest — a break
  6. game — a match
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fork — in a road
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — for sport
  12. swing — music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — hurry
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — to hurry

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