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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fall — to drop
  4. field — a subject
  5. fall — to drop
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fall — the season
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pass — to spend time

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