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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: game · chip · lean · chair · ball · patient · foot · scale

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. scale — size or range
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. scale — in music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ball — a great time
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. foot — a measure
  16. game — a match
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ball — a dance
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lean — thin

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