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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — completely
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bear — the animal
  16. field — for sport
  17. cue — for pool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wax — for sculpting

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