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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: file · patient · chip · face · drill · board · pitch · fork

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. board — to get on
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chip — for betting
  10. face — to confront
  11. board — a committee
  12. chip — to eat
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. file — a document
  16. face — to point toward
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitch — completely
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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