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

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — to get on
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. board — a committee
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. game — a match
  24. fine — all right

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