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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. present — a gift
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — there
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. present — the time now
  16. game — a match
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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