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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: wound · hide · net · suit · field · pit · tube · patient

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. suit — to fit
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — a hole
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. suit — clothes
  8. net — after costs
  9. field — a subject
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — a container
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — in a race
  17. net — for catching
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. net — in sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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