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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pound — a weight
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. squash — to crush
  13. field — for sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. field — a subject
  17. row — a line
  18. craft — boats
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. row — to paddle
  23. squash — the sport
  24. field — farmland

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