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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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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: hand · ruler · mug · charge · chip · patient · deal · row

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mug — a face
  12. row — to paddle
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. row — a line
  15. hand — help
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — in cards
  20. deal — to handle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. charge — in control
  24. chip — for betting

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