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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: hand · ground · patient · club · cap · chip · bass · cabinet

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bass — low music
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bass — the fish
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cap — a hat
  10. club — for golf
  11. ground — a position
  12. hand — help
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. club — a group
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ground — the earth
  24. hand — in cards

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