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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: jam · track · ruler · face · patient · swing · field · game

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. swing — to play on
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. game — wild animals
  9. swing — music
  10. track — a path
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. field — for sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. track — to keep track
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. track — a song
  18. swing — in golf
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. field — farmland
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. game — a match
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. jam — in traffic

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