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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: patient · race · dip · squash · chip · present · roll · suit

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. suit — to fit
  3. squash — the sport
  4. race — the arms race
  5. present — there
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chip — for betting
  8. roll — a cake
  9. present — the time now
  10. suit — in cards
  11. squash — to crush
  12. race — humankind
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chip — to eat
  17. roll — a list
  18. present — a gift
  19. race — a contest
  20. suit — clothes
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. dip — a sauce
  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