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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. spring — of water
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spring — the season
  9. track — to keep track
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. track — a song
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cue — a hint
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — a hat
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. track — a path
  23. scale — size or range
  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