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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — soda
  4. firm — decided
  5. net — for catching
  6. field — farmland
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wind — moving air
  10. net — in sport
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. net — after costs
  14. pop — music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. pop — to visit
  19. firm — steady
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. firm — a company
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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