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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. land — to come down
  5. stand — to bear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. land — ground
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. land — a country

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