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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bass — low music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. court — of law
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. court — of a king
  13. bass — the fish
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — a permit
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. race — humankind
  19. board — a committee
  20. court — for sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. race — a contest
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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