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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
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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: chest · firm · date · chip · ball · content · bulb · patient

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. firm — decided
  3. ball — a dance
  4. firm — steady
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. firm — a company
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — a box
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a great time
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. chip — to eat
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bulb — for light

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