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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.

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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: dip · patient · racket · game · bound · net · chip · craft

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — a skill
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. game — wild animals
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. net — in sport
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bound — certain
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — boats
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — for betting
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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