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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. club — a group
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. roll — a list
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chip — to eat
  15. club — for golf
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. club — for dancing
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitch — completely
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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