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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — a subject
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. firm — decided
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. firm — a company
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — a committee
  15. field — farmland
  16. firm — steady
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. can — to be able to
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. board — to get on
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. field — for sport

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