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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. saw — the tool
  8. last — to go on
  9. bat — the animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pitch — completely
  15. last — final
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. last — finally
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. field — farmland
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. saw — the tool
  24. plane — a tool

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