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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. board — a committee
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. drill — army training
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. wound — an injury
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — to get on
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pop — music
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. firm — decided

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