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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · snap · roll · land · patient · game · bay · cabinet

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. land — ground
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. land — a country
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. game — wild animals
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — the underground
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. tube — a container
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. land — to come down
  24. game — a match

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