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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: cap · patient · mate · net · ball · calf · staff · board

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mate — a partner
  3. board — a committee
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. cap — a hat
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. net — for catching
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. staff — employees
  20. net — in sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — after costs
  24. staff — a stick

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