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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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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: stem · field · temple · drill · pitch · toast · swing · patient

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — for sport
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stem — to come from
  7. drill — the tool
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. drill — army training
  12. field — a subject
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. toast — bread
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. swing — to play on
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. field — farmland
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stem — a stem cell

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