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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. object — a thing
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. net — in sport
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. field — a subject
  7. object — an aim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. drill — a practice
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. hand — help
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. object — to protest
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. hand — in cards
  22. field — farmland
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. patient — a sick person

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