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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: cue · board · patient · tube · race · chip · racket · net

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — the underground
  3. race — humankind
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. net — in sport
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cue — a hint
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. net — for catching
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. net — after costs
  24. cue — for pool

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