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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: sharp · land · chair · prune · drill · pop · suit · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — clever
  3. suit — to fit
  4. land — ground
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. drill — the tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pop — soda
  16. land — a country
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pop — music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. land — to come down
  24. pop — to visit

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