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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 124 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a ring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — shares
  8. chip — for betting
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rule — a law
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — goods
  14. band — a music group
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rule — government
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. kid — child
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. kid — to tease

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