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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. field — a subject
  4. swing — music
  5. field — farmland
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. swing — to play on
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. net — for catching
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. net — after costs
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. field — for sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chair — a leader
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. net — in 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