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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 116 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: bore · bat · stand · patient · key · can · rash · board

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bore — to tire
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. key — in music
  13. stand — to bear
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. board — to get on
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bat — the animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. key — for a lock
  24. patient — a sick person

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