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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: toast · arm · band · dip · court · pitcher · board · patient

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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. court — for sport
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. board — to get on
  7. court — of law
  8. toast — bread
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — a committee
  11. band — a music group
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. court — of a king
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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