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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
468
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: pit · band · mug · patient · mate · leaves · fine · land

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. mug — a cup
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pit — in a race
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fine — high quality
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mate — to breed
  24. patient — a sick person

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