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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chip — for betting
  7. shower — rain
  8. key — in music
  9. game — wild animals
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chip — to eat
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. shower — to wash
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. patient — a sick person

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