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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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 — ground
  2. present — the time now
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cap — a hat
  6. tube — a container
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. cap — a lid
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ground — a position
  16. rock — music
  17. net — for catching
  18. land — a country
  19. tube — the underground
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. land — to come down
  22. net — in sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  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