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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: patient · toast · snap · game · jam · last · chip · saw

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. saw — the tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. toast — bread
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chip — for betting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — the tool
  18. snap — to click
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. game — a match
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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