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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chip — for betting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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