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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. hand — help
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ball — a great time
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. track — a song
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — a path
  24. pitch — completely

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