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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: mark · chip · snap · patient · bark · drill · tube · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. drill — army training
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bark — to shout
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. drill — a practice
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chip — for betting

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