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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spring — of water
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chip — to eat
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bass — low music
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spring — the season

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