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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. suit — clothes
  4. land — to come down
  5. sharp — clever
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. land — a country
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cue — a signal
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — for pool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. season — in sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cue — a hint
  17. march — the month
  18. season — of the year
  19. suit — to fit
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. march — music
  22. land — ground
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chip — to eat

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