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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 120 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 · patient · racket · firm · wake · pound · hide · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pound — a weight
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chip — for betting
  10. firm — steady
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hand — help
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. firm — a company
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — decided
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pound — to hit hard

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