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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — hurry
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rule — a law
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rule — government
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — a lid
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cap — of ice

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