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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: content · hide · leaves · chip · cap · key · club · patient

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. key — for a lock
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. content — the amount
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. content — happy
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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