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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chest — of your body
  4. can — a tin
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chest — of your body
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chest — a box

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