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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: suit · game · mark · pitcher · patient · chip · mate · bear

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mate — a partner
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. suit — clothes
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mark — a grade
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. game — a kind of play

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