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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. last — to go on
  3. ground — a position
  4. last — finally
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. field — a subject
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. field — for sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — the earth
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. field — farmland
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cap — a hat
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cap — a lid
  24. last — final

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