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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: kick · stand · band · patient · wound · mouse · foot · chip

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. chip — for betting
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. band — a music group
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. kick — in football

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