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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spring — a coil
  3. net — for catching
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spring — of water
  8. net — after costs
  9. chip — to eat
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spring — the season
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. net — in sport
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chip — in a computer

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