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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: patient · field · pass · game · pop · nail · fork · stock

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. field — farmland
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. field — a subject
  6. game — a match
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. field — for sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stock — shares
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stock — goods
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pass — a permit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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