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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — low music
  5. court — for sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. object — to protest
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — an aim
  19. court — of law
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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