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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — ground
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rash — a series
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spring — the season
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. land — to come down
  20. spring — of water
  21. rash — hasty
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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