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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 120 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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — a country
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — for betting
  14. current — electric
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — to eat
  17. current — happening now
  18. land — ground
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — of water
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. land — to come down

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