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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. row — to paddle
  4. club — a group
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. object — a thing
  11. club — for dancing
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. row — a line
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — an aim
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. club — for golf
  21. mate — to breed
  22. object — to protest
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — to get on

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