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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: snap · pound · suit · patient · chip · mug · arm · bat

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. suit — in cards
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mug — a cup
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mug — a face

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