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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: pitcher · bore · field · patient · pass · cue · clip · leaves

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. clip — to cut
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — a signal
  11. field — a subject
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cue — a hint
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. field — for sport
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. field — farmland
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. clip — a video

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