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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — farmland
  6. can — to be able to
  7. field — for sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — a tin
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — a partner
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. tube — a container
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. season — of the year

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