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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: chair · foot · board · chest · current · rush · pound · patient

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chest — a box
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. current — happening now
  9. board — a committee
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — to get on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chair — a leader
  16. foot — a measure
  17. current — of water
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chest — of your body
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. chest — of your body
  23. current — electric
  24. rush — a thrill

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