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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: patient · mark · wind · present · pit · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pit — a hole
  9. present — there
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chip — to eat
  13. present — the time now
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mark — a trace
  18. present — a gift

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