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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. staff — employees
  4. rash — a series
  5. staff — a stick
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spring — the season
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. field — a subject
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. staff — employees
  15. firm — a company
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — for sport
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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