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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. present — there
  4. rock — a stone
  5. present — the time now
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rock — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rash — a series
  15. present — a gift
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chip — for betting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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