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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. object — a thing
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stand — to bear
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. object — to protest
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. object — an aim
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. kid — child
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. patient — a sick person

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