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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: patient · band · current · cue · safe · can · game · chip

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chip — for betting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — to be able to
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. game — a match
  11. current — happening now
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. band — a music group
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — electric
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cue — a signal
  20. current — of water
  21. band — a ring
  22. chip — to eat
  23. game — wild animals
  24. can — a tin

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