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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 120 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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a document
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. field — a subject
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bass — the fish
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bass — low music
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. file — a tool

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