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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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468
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: dip · chip · patient · current · ball · saw · rash · staff

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rash — a series
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ball — a dance
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to sink
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. current — happening now
  11. rash — hasty
  12. saw — the tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chip — to eat
  16. staff — a stick
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. current — electric
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — for betting
  24. current — of water

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