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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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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: court · ground · dip · patient · pass · field · calf · wax

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pass — a permit
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. field — a subject
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. court — for sport
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ground — crushed
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. court — of law
  18. field — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. field — farmland
  22. ground — a position
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pass — to succeed

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