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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: pass · stem · mouse · ruler · field · game · kick · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. field — a subject
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — for sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. kick — in football
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — farmland
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. game — a match
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. kick — with a leg

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