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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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. patient — a sick person
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — employees
  6. rock — music
  7. net — in sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. board — a committee
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rock — a stone

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