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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.

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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: game · track · key · calf · mark · patient · field · spell

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — farmland
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — for a lock
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. track — to keep track
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. track — a song
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. game — a match
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. mark — a grade
  20. key — the most important part
  21. track — a path
  22. key — in music
  23. field — for sport
  24. mark — to pay attention

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