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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: fork · chip · saw · patient · shower · cue · club · kick

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — a hint
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fork — in a road
  9. shower — rain
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cue — a signal
  15. club — for golf
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. club — a group
  21. chip — to eat
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. saw — the tool

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