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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 · chair · chip · patient · suit · wake · fan · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. suit — to fit
  7. chair — a leader
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chip — to eat
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — wild animals
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. game — a match
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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