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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: field · stand · patient · rule · wave · foot · mine · suit

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rule — government
  3. suit — clothes
  4. field — for sport
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. field — a subject
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rule — a law
  18. field — farmland
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. suit — in cards
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. foot — the bottom
  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