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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 116 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: ball · pass · fork · cap · patient · chip · bound · wound

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bound — certain
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pass — to spend time

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