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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ground — the earth
  4. land — ground
  5. track — a path
  6. land — to come down
  7. track — to keep track
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ground — a position
  10. chip — for betting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. land — a country
  15. chip — to eat
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ground — crushed
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. race — a contest
  23. kick — in football
  24. track — a song

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