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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: kid · suit · can · board · patient · pop · key · bear

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — music
  5. board — a committee
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kid — child
  9. can — to be able to
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. board — to get on
  15. pop — soda
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. kid — to tease
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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