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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: patient · root · wave · hand · chair · key · cap · chip

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cap — a hat
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. root — the cause
  9. cap — of ice
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. hand — help
  19. root — of a word
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chair — a leader
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wave — of the sea

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