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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — farmland
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. field — for sport
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pitch — completely
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pound — a weight
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. leaves — to go away

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