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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — a path
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. field — a subject
  6. track — a song
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. present — there
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. present — a gift
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. field — farmland
  16. content — happy
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. foot — a measure
  19. present — the time now
  20. track — to keep track
  21. field — for sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — the amount

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