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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mug — to rob
  8. field — a subject
  9. hand — help
  10. mug — a face
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. field — farmland
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bear — the animal

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