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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: dip · chip · patient · track · net · straw · scale · bulb

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — to eat
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. net — in sport
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. net — after costs
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. scale — size or range
  19. track — a path
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — a sauce

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