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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. field — for sport
  3. content — the amount
  4. field — a subject
  5. ball — a great time
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cue — a signal
  9. board — to get on
  10. field — farmland
  11. pound — a weight
  12. content — happy
  13. board — a committee
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. scale — size or range
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cue — a hint

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