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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. board — to get on
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. net — in sport
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ball — a great time
  9. can — to be able to
  10. club — a group
  11. board — a committee
  12. club — for golf
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — after costs
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — for catching
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — a tin
  22. land — to come down
  23. ball — a dance
  24. board — a flat piece

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