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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. charge — a price
  7. mate — a friend
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chip — for betting
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. charge — in control
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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