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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. field — a subject
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. firm — steady
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. firm — decided
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — from crying
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — farmland
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. field — for sport
  21. firm — a company
  22. swing — to play on
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. patient — a sick person

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