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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chip — for betting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wake — a trail
  5. net — after costs
  6. chip — to eat
  7. can — to be able to
  8. club — for golf
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. club — a group
  17. key — the most important part
  18. club — for dancing
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. net — in sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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