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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: pit · field · cell · bowl · press · land · patient · suit

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pit — in a race
  3. land — a country
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. field — a subject
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cell — a phone
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. field — for sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. land — to come down
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. press — to push
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pit — a hole
  22. suit — to fit
  23. land — ground
  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