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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 116 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: last · calf · patient · rock · pit · chip · land · ball

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chip — to eat
  6. last — final
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — in a race
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ball — a dance
  14. land — a country
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. land — to come down
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. land — ground
  24. pit — a hole

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