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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 120 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
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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: drill · ball · patient · field · season · net · charge · spring

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. field — a subject
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. field — for sport
  6. net — in sport
  7. season — in sport
  8. drill — army training
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. charge — a price
  15. net — for catching
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spring — the season
  18. ball — a dance
  19. charge — in control
  20. drill — the tool
  21. spring — of water
  22. drill — a practice
  23. spring — a coil
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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