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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · field · ground · season · patient · rule · fall · foot

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. rule — government
  2. mark — a trace
  3. field — farmland
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. field — for sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. season — of the year
  12. field — a subject
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ground — a position
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fall — the season
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fall — to drop
  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