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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. season — of the year
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. firm — a company
  7. land — ground
  8. roll — a list
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. firm — decided
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — steady
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. land — a country
  19. season — in sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. roll — a cake
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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