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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mug — a face
  5. band — a ring
  6. net — in sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — all right
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. band — a music group
  13. net — for catching
  14. mug — to rob
  15. scale — size or range
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. chip — for betting
  22. net — after costs
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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