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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 116 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: track · pit · deal · perch · mine · dip · patient · drill

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. drill — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. drill — army training
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. drill — a practice
  13. perch — the fish
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pit — a hole
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. dip — to sink

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