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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — to wash
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. saw — the tool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rock — music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. board — to get on
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. shower — rain
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rock — a stone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. saw — the tool

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