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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: pit · season · fan · cell · field · roll · patient · leaves

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. field — a subject
  9. season — in sport
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cell — a phone
  17. field — farmland
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. roll — a list
  23. field — for sport
  24. season — of the year

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