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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. field — a subject
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mug — to rob
  11. board — to get on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mug — a cup
  14. field — farmland
  15. mug — a face
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — a committee
  24. bark — to shout

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