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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — for sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. field — farmland
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pound — a weight
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. field — a subject
  24. pound — for dogs

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