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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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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: ground · scale · fork · bay · chip · patient · club · fall

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ground — crushed
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. ground — a position
  7. club — a group
  8. fall — the season
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ground — the earth
  15. chip — to eat
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. scale — in music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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