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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 116 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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. firm — a company
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rock — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. firm — steady
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. firm — decided

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