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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: chip · bat · ruler · fan · key · current · patient · cell

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. key — the most important part
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bat — the animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — for a lock
  19. current — electric
  20. cell — in biology
  21. current — of water
  22. chip — to eat
  23. key — in music
  24. bat — in an idiom

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