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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. board — to get on
  3. field — a subject
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. band — a music group
  6. board — a committee
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. band — a ring
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. field — farmland
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. patient — a sick person
  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