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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 116 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: patient · chip · saw · cabinet · race · drill · pitch · net

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. drill — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. net — for catching
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pitch — completely
  8. chip — to eat
  9. race — a contest
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — humankind
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. net — after costs
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. net — in sport

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