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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. chip — to eat
  7. board — a committee
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bass — the fish
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. bass — low music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cell — a phone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. degree — from a university
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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