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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — ground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. degree — from a university
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. chip — to eat
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pit — in a race
  15. charge — in control
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rock — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. bark — to shout
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rock — a stone

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