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

Word bank: patient · fine · pitch · kick · pound · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fine — all right
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. field — for sport
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. field — farmland
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pound — a weight
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitch — a sports field

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