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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. land — ground
  3. current — electric
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. land — to come down
  6. tube — the underground
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. current — of water
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. foot — a measure
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. game — a match
  16. land — a country
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — happening now
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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