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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. can — a tin
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. can — a tin
  12. fine — high quality
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. field — farmland
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. field — a subject
  22. fine — all right
  23. rest — a break
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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