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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. fine — high quality
  3. chest — of your body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mate — to breed
  12. firm — a company
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. field — for sport
  15. shower — rain
  16. chest — a box
  17. firm — decided
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. field — a subject
  21. firm — steady
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fine — all right
  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