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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rash — a series
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chair — a leader
  7. court — of a king
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rock — music
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. court — for sport
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rash — hasty
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. court — of law
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. toast — bread

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