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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: tube · ruler · net · land · patient · ground · toast · wave

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. tube — the underground
  3. net — in sport
  4. ground — crushed
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ground — the earth
  7. land — a country
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. land — to come down
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. net — after costs
  14. toast — bread
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — for catching
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — a container
  21. land — ground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ruler — for measuring

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