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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: clip · rash · land · scale · calf · club · patient · suit

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rash — hasty
  3. scale — in music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. land — to come down
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. clip — for paper
  13. club — for dancing
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rash — a series
  16. suit — to fit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. clip — a video
  20. club — a group
  21. land — ground
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. club — for golf
  24. suit — in cards

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