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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chair — a leader
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. board — to get on
  16. drill — army training
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — a committee
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. drill — a practice
  24. patient — a sick person

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