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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — the cause
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bound — certain
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — a trace
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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