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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: bowl · file · patient · mark · kid · board · pitcher · temple

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. kid — child
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. board — a committee
  18. file — a document
  19. kid — to tease
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. patient — a sick person

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