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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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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: row · bank · pass · saw · pitcher · chip · ground · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chip — for betting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. row — a line
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bank — for money
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ground — a position

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