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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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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: patient · stand · stick · charge · bound · chest · ball · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bound — certain
  16. chest — a box
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — in control
  23. chip — to eat
  24. charge — a price

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