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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.

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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: racket · mug · cell · spring · ruler · patient · leaves · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. spring — the season
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mug — a cup
  5. land — to come down
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mug — to rob
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — ground
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spring — of water
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  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