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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 · field · tear · track · sharp · object · court · season

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. field — farmland
  3. tear — from crying
  4. field — a subject
  5. court — of law
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. field — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — to keep track
  10. object — to protest
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — to rip
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a path
  16. object — a thing
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. object — an aim
  22. court — for sport
  23. tear — from crying
  24. season — of the year

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