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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.

Words on the sheet
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: board · chip · cold · mug · craft · plane · scale · patient

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. chip — for betting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. chip — to eat
  8. board — to get on
  9. scale — in music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cold — not warm
  22. board — a committee
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. craft — a handicraft

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