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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: court · patient · tube · deal · chip · squash · pass · net

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. court — for sport
  3. net — in sport
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — the sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. net — for catching
  13. court — of law
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. tube — a container
  17. court — of a king
  18. squash — to crush
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — to handle

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