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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: chest · mouse · chair · pitcher · pitch · patient · ball · track

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. track — a song
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a great time

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