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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: object · ground · pound · board · patient · club · fan · mate

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. object — an aim
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a friend
  6. club — a group
  7. mate — a partner
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ground — the earth
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — to protest
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — to get on
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. fan — to cool the air

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