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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: mark · calf · drill · temple · coach · patient · pound · pit

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pound — a weight
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. drill — army training
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mark — a trace
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pound — for dogs

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