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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: foot · pass · chip · patient · field · wave · pound · key

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. field — farmland
  5. key — in music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. field — for sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pass — a permit
  24. foot — a measure

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