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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pop — soda
  7. chip — to eat
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pop — music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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