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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. swing — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — a subject
  5. spell — magic
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. net — for catching
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. object — an aim
  11. net — in sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. object — a thing
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. swing — to play on
  21. object — to protest
  22. net — after costs
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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