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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 124 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
468
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: object · bass · cell · root · rash · sharp · chip · patient

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cell — a phone
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cell — in biology
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — the cause
  8. chip — to eat
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. object — to protest
  15. bass — low music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rash — a series
  20. root — of a word
  21. object — an aim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. object — a thing

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