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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · march · staff · chip · object · swing

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. object — a thing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. object — an aim
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. staff — a stick
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. object — to protest
  12. swing — music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. swing — to play on
  15. march — the month
  16. chip — for betting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — music

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