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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: patient · roll · bowl · ground · chip · last · present · track

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — there
  3. last — final
  4. track — a path
  5. roll — a list
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — for betting
  9. last — finally
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ground — a position
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. roll — a cake
  17. present — a gift
  18. ground — crushed
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. last — to go on
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. present — the time now
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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