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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 116 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 · bat · stock · bear · hand · cue · charge · chip

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. charge — in control
  4. cue — for pool
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stock — goods
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — a price
  23. hand — help
  24. chip — for betting

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