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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: stick · pass · hand · chip · patient · tube · band · present

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. present — a gift
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tube — a container
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. present — the time now
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — to eat
  12. present — there
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — a permit
  15. band — a music group
  16. chip — for betting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. hand — help
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — the underground
  24. band — a ring

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