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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. ground — a position
  3. bound — tied together
  4. field — for sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ground — crushed
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ground — the earth
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bound — obliged
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. suit — to fit
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bass — low music
  17. bound — certain
  18. field — farmland
  19. bass — the fish
  20. field — a subject
  21. suit — in cards
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. suit — clothes
  24. patient — a sick person

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