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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. chip — to eat
  8. march — music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. row — a line
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — to grow
  21. staff — employees
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chip — in a computer
  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