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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 116 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: pass · ground · fan · patient · net · spring · chip · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spring — of water
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. net — for catching
  14. ground — crushed
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. net — after costs
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ground — a position

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