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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. land — to come down
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — ground
  10. rest — a break
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. land — a country
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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