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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. present — the time now
  5. cue — a hint
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chip — for betting
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. capital — money
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. capital — a city
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. chip — to eat
  24. game — a kind of play

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