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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kid — to tease
  3. field — farmland
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rock — a stone
  16. net — for catching
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. field — for sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. plane — a tool

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