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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · firm · field · mate · patient · tear

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cue — a signal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. firm — decided
  7. mate — a friend
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cue — a hint
  10. field — farmland
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cue — for pool
  13. firm — a company
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. tear — from crying
  17. field — a subject
  18. firm — steady

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