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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — for sport
  3. march — the month
  4. lean — thin
  5. cue — a signal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. march — the month
  11. toast — bread
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. march — music
  16. field — farmland
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lean — to bend
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. deal — to handle
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. field — a subject
  24. row — a line

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