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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cue — a hint
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — to confront
  5. land — ground
  6. cue — a signal
  7. race — humankind
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — for pool
  10. land — to come down
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — a country
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. race — a contest
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. race — the arms race
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. face — to point toward
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mine — for digging
  24. racket — a loud noise

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