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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: can · field · pitch · stand · spell · patient · racket · fork

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spell — a short time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. field — farmland
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spell — letters
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fork — in a road
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pitch — completely
  21. spell — magic
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitch — a sports field

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