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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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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. land — ground
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. date — the fruit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — for digging
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. squash — to crush

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