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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: land · game · wave · patient · toast · suit · pop · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. suit — in cards
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. land — to come down
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. land — a country
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — ground
  12. pop — soda
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. suit — clothes
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. toast — bread
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. row — to paddle
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. game — a match
  24. row — a quarrel

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