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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.

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: shower · spell · chip · patient · stick · game · season · club

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. club — for golf
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. shower — to wash
  8. game — wild animals
  9. season — of the year
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. shower — rain
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. club — a group
  18. chip — for betting
  19. season — in sport
  20. chip — to eat
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — letters

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