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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — help
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — for money
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chip — for betting
  10. last — finally
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ball — a dance
  19. last — to go on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mug — a face
  22. bank — of a river
  23. last — final
  24. chip — to eat

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