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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
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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 · squash · fine · file · patient · jam · ball · bear

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — a country
  4. fine — all right
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. land — to come down
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ball — a great time
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. file — a tool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. land — ground

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