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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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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: kick · perch · patient · jam · hand · ruler · date · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — the fruit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chip — for betting
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kick — in football
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. hand — help
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. jam — in traffic

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