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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.

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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: field · present · bass · patient · ground · key · drill · rush

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bass — low music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ground — a position
  14. key — the most important part
  15. field — for sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. present — there
  18. key — in music
  19. present — a gift
  20. drill — the tool
  21. present — the time now
  22. field — a subject
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. field — farmland

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