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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wax — to grow
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. field — for sport
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. patient — a sick person

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