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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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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: pitcher · mouse · patient · rule · wind · chip · vault · rush

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rule — government
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rule — a law
  23. chip — to eat
  24. patient — a sick person

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