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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 · pitch · chip · land · foot · patient · cue · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. land — to come down
  3. foot — a measure
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cue — a signal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. roll — a list
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fall — the season
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. roll — a cake
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. land — ground
  23. cue — for pool
  24. land — a country

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