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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. kid — child
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — to get on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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