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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bore — to tire
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bank — for money
  7. land — a country
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bank — for money
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bank — of a river
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. land — ground
  20. season — in sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. bore — to drill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — of ice

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