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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. field — farmland
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mate — a friend
  15. tear — to rip
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. board — a committee
  19. field — a subject
  20. board — to get on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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