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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. field — a subject
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. firm — decided
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. field — for sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. firm — a company
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. field — farmland
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pass — a permit

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