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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 120 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: board · root · chip · chest · kick · cell · mark · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cell — a phone
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. board — to get on
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. kick — in football
  11. mark — a grade
  12. root — the cause
  13. cell — in biology
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chest — a box
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. board — a committee
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — a trace
  24. board — a flat piece

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