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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mate — to breed
  3. season — in sport
  4. current — of water
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — a country
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — electric
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — of the year
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. current — happening now
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mate — a partner
  20. land — to come down
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — a friend
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. patient — a sick person

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