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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. net — in sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rule — government
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rule — a law
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. net — after costs
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ground — a position
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. patient — a sick person

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