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

Word bank: fork · bank · kid · patient · board · craft

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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 — to get on
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bank — of a river
  6. board — a committee
  7. kid — to tease
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — boats
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. kid — child
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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