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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 120 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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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: chip · fine · patient · bay · stick · swing · ground · present

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — the time now
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — a gift
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. present — there
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. swing — music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — a position
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. patient — a sick person

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