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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: rash · fork · drill · pass · cell · patient · scale · chip

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — size or range
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. scale — in music
  16. drill — army training
  17. rash — hasty
  18. drill — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fork — in a road

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