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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. land — to come down
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. land — ground
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. game — a match
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. board — a committee
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. board — to get on
  24. pass — to spend time

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