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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. toast — bread
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mug — a face
  19. chip — for betting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — a stone
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rock — music
  24. mug — a cup

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