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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
468
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 · pitcher · date · degree · key · field · pound · object

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — in music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. pound — a weight
  8. object — a thing
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. key — for a lock
  11. field — farmland
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. degree — an amount
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. object — an aim
  22. degree — from a university
  23. object — to protest
  24. key — the most important part

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