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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: pound · patient · chip · root · drill · mark · arm · track

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. mark — a trace
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. root — of a word
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. drill — a practice
  12. track — a path
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — for betting
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chip — to eat
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. root — the cause
  24. pound — a weight

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