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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cap — a lid
  4. field — a subject
  5. cap — a hat
  6. field — for sport
  7. bound — tied together
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. field — farmland
  10. bound — certain
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bound — obliged
  16. club — a group
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cap — of ice
  20. kick — in football
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. club — for golf
  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