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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 · chest · chip · jam · saw · tube · staff · patient

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — a match
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chip — to eat
  13. saw — the tool
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tube — a container
  16. chip — for betting
  17. game — wild animals
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chest — a box
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. staff — employees
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. chest — of your body
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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