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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: patient · row · mate · stick · nail · pound · field · fan

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. field — farmland
  8. row — a line
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. field — a subject
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mate — a partner
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pound — a weight
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. field — for sport

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