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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · bass · game · can · stick · chip · patient · chair

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. game — a match
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — a leader
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. can — a tin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bass — low music
  24. chair — a professorship

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