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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: roll · drill · coach · patient · swing · wound · pitch · chest

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. drill — the tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chest — a box
  10. roll — a list
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. roll — a cake
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. drill — army training
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. coach — a trainer

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