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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: chip · pitcher · patient · leaves · drill · chair · cap · content

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — happy
  9. cap — of ice
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cap — a hat
  15. content — the amount
  16. drill — a practice
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cap — a lid
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chair — to sit on

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