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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. track — a path
  5. wind — moving air
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. field — for sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wound — an injury
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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