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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: patient · pit · bear · squash · game · bulb · chip · bound

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — for betting
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chip — to eat
  17. game — wild animals
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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