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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ball — a dance
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. track — a song
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bound — certain
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chip — to eat
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ball — a great time
  18. snap — to click
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — a lid
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chip — for betting

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