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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. field — for sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitch — completely
  7. swing — music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cap — of ice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. field — farmland
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. swing — in golf
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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