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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: patient · firm · bass · present · land · march · rule · kick

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. kick — in football
  3. present — a gift
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rule — a law
  6. present — the time now
  7. march — the month
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bass — the fish
  11. land — ground
  12. present — there
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. rule — government
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. firm — steady
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. march — the month
  20. firm — a company
  21. march — music
  22. bass — low music
  23. firm — decided
  24. patient — a sick person

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