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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: pitcher · chip · track · degree · patient · wound · mouse · press

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — a song
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. press — newspapers
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mouse — for a computer

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