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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. field — for sport
  4. present — the time now
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — an amount
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. field — a subject
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. field — farmland
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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