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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. land — a country
  4. club — for dancing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a hat
  7. club — for golf
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cap — a lid
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. land — ground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — to eat
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. club — a group
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bowl — a dish

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