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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stand — to bear
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. charge — in control
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bore — to tire
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cue — for pool
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. can — to be able to
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cue — a signal

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