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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 116 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 · stock · suit · game · patient · court · band · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stock — shares
  4. game — a match
  5. suit — to fit
  6. file — a document
  7. chip — for betting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. suit — clothes
  10. band — a ring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — to eat
  13. court — of a king
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. band — a music group
  17. game — wild animals
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stock — goods
  20. court — of law
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. court — for sport
  24. band — a rubber band

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