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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: pop · ball · deal · stand · patient · field · game · lean

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ball — a dance
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. field — for sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stand — to bear
  10. game — wild animals
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. field — a subject
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. field — farmland
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. game — a match
  17. pop — music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lean — thin
  24. deal — to handle

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