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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: fine · root · arm · patient · chip · coach · racket · kid

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kid — child
  3. fine — all right
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — the cause
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. kid — to tease
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — high quality
  16. root — of a word
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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