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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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468
Word bank
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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a ring
  4. land — a country
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. land — ground
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to sink
  10. land — to come down
  11. band — a music group
  12. season — of the year
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chair — a leader
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. racket — for tennis

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