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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kid — child
  4. fall — the season
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — an aim
  9. scale — size or range
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. kid — to tease
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. fall — to drop
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cue — a hint
  21. object — a thing
  22. chip — for betting
  23. object — to protest
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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