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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — for betting
  3. can — to be able to
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — a song
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. track — to keep track
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — boats
  19. track — a path
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. band — a ring

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