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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 sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. swing — in golf
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. field — a subject
  13. dip — to sink
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. field — for sport
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. field — farmland
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. craft — boats
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. swing — music

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