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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.

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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: field · net · bulb · patient · calf · cue · rock · content

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rock — a stone
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — a hint
  8. net — after costs
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. net — for catching
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. content — happy
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — for pool
  16. net — in sport
  17. content — the amount
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rock — music
  20. cue — a signal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. bulb — of a plant

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