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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: stand · drill · hide · patient · pit · club · bound · degree

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bound — certain
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — tied together
  13. degree — from a university
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bound — obliged
  18. club — a group
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — army training
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — a hole
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stand — to bear

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