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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · rule · land · racket · temple · patient · content · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rule — government
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. land — to come down
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. board — a committee
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — a law
  23. can — a tin
  24. racket — for tennis

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