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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. deal — to handle
  7. present — a gift
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. present — there
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pound — a weight
  22. kick — in football
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. present — the time now

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