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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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Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — all right
  4. field — farmland
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. chair — a leader
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rash — hasty
  18. field — a subject
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. field — for sport
  24. cap — of ice

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