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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · field · drill · board · stick · chair · nail · patient

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chair — a leader
  4. drill — army training
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. field — farmland
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ball — a dance
  11. drill — the tool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — for sport
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. field — a subject
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ball — a great time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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