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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — farmland
  3. band — a ring
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — steady
  6. spell — magic
  7. firm — decided
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stock — goods
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stock — shares
  12. band — a music group
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mark — a grade
  17. spell — letters
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. field — for sport
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. field — a subject
  22. can — to be able to
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. firm — a company

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