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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. kid — child
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cap — a hat
  10. content — the amount
  11. chip — to eat
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stock — goods
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kid — to tease
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — in a road
  23. content — happy
  24. cap — of ice

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