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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · chair · track · temple · pitcher · craft · tube · cue

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. track — to keep track
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — a song
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — boats
  19. tube — a container
  20. track — a path
  21. craft — a skill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitcher — a jug

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