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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a dance
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cap — a hat
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. snap — to click
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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