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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: fine · patient · ground · coach · field · key · pound · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ground — crushed
  10. key — the most important part
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pound — a weight
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. field — for sport
  21. ground — a position
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. mouse — the animal

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