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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pass — a permit
  4. field — for sport
  5. firm — decided
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. field — a subject
  9. spell — magic
  10. court — for sport
  11. mark — a trace
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mark — a grade
  17. spell — a short time
  18. field — farmland
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. court — of law
  23. spell — letters
  24. court — of a king

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