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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 · key · rock · can · bear · racket · cold · chip

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. key — the most important part
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cold — an illness
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. can — to be able to
  22. key — in music
  23. cold — not warm
  24. patient — a sick person

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