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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: bay · ground · dip · rash · patient · prune · fork · land

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — a position
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. land — to come down
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. land — ground
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. land — a country
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — to sink
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. dip — a sauce

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