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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. charge — in control
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. club — a group
  11. pit — a hole
  12. net — for catching
  13. field — for sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. club — for dancing
  16. deal — to handle
  17. club — for golf
  18. charge — electricity
  19. net — in sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pit — in a race
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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