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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — clothes
  9. degree — from a university
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. land — ground
  21. degree — an amount
  22. suit — to fit
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bowl — a dish

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