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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chip · fork · patient · ball · present · clip · pitch · mug

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. clip — to cut
  11. present — a gift
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ball — a dance
  16. clip — a video
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. present — the time now
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mug — a face
  23. present — there
  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