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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: pitch · drill · kick · chest · degree · season · track · patient

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. drill — the tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. chest — of your body
  7. track — a path
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. degree — an amount
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — temperature
  12. drill — army training
  13. chest — a box
  14. season — in sport
  15. kick — in football
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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