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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: drill · race · branch · cap · pitch · mouse · patient · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. drill — army training
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. branch — a division
  5. race — a contest
  6. cap — of ice
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. drill — a practice
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. drill — the tool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. race — humankind
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitch — completely
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cap — a lid

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