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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hand — in cards
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. board — a committee
  7. season — in sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. squash — the sport
  14. hand — help
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pound — a weight
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. squash — to crush
  23. season — of the year
  24. nail — on a finger

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