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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: pound · roll · pass · game · patient · mark · chip · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. club — a group
  2. mark — a trace
  3. game — wild animals
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. club — for golf
  11. roll — a cake
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pound — a weight
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pass — a permit
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a match
  23. chip — to eat
  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