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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 120 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 · board · degree · patient · calf · march · season · dip

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. land — a country
  6. season — in sport
  7. land — ground
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. march — the month
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. dip — to sink
  13. march — music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. degree — from a university
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. board — to get on
  24. land — to come down

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