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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 · safe · lean · calf · fine · pop · court · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fine — all right
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — for sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. court — of law
  11. pop — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. court — of a king
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fine — high quality
  18. field — for sport
  19. pop — to visit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pop — soda
  24. field — farmland

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