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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — a position
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. board — to get on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — the earth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lie — an untruth

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