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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. drill — army training
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. field — farmland
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. field — for sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. firm — steady
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. firm — a company
  16. drill — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fork — in a road
  22. firm — decided
  23. tube — a container
  24. fork — to eat with

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