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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. prune — to trim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — for sport
  5. fine — high quality
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — the season
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — all right
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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