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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: race · arm · patient · jam · present · pound · hand · chip

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chip — for betting
  4. hand — in cards
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. present — the time now
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. present — a gift
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pound — a weight
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. present — there
  20. race — a contest
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chip — to eat
  24. race — humankind

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