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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 116 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: patient · present · tube · stick · mouse · rock · field · fan

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. field — a subject
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. field — for sport
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rock — music
  19. present — there
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. field — farmland
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. fan — a supporter

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