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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — clever
  8. track — a path
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fall — the season
  17. mug — a cup
  18. track — a song
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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