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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mate — a partner
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mate — a friend
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. field — a subject
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. patient — a sick person

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