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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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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: rest · pound · mark · patient · toast · land · kid · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mark — a grade
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — a country
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. toast — bread
  13. kid — child
  14. rest — what's left
  15. land — to come down
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — a weight
  19. land — ground
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rest — a break
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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