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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. field — farmland
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. can — to be able to
  8. track — a path
  9. board — a committee
  10. track — to keep track
  11. board — to get on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a song
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pit — a hole
  19. court — of a king
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — for sport
  22. field — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. field — a subject

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