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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
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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: bowl · ball · content · patient · season · rule · field · object

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. field — for sport
  3. object — to protest
  4. ball — a great time
  5. field — farmland
  6. content — happy
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. object — a thing
  11. season — of the year
  12. object — an aim
  13. content — the amount
  14. season — in sport
  15. rule — government
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. field — a subject
  19. rule — a law
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bowl — a dish

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