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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · squash · hand · board · bowl · patient

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — to get on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. hand — help
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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