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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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468
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 · kid · bore · squash · mug · patient · cabinet · pass

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mug — a face
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mug — to rob
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. squash — to crush
  22. kid — child
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cabinet — ministers

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