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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. land — to come down
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cell — in biology
  11. hand — help
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cell — a phone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — ground
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hand — in cards
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — to fit

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