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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 120 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: mine · board · firm · can · rule · bowl · stick · patient

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rule — a law
  5. mine — for digging
  6. board — to get on
  7. firm — decided
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — steady
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — a committee
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. firm — a company
  23. rule — government
  24. board — a flat piece

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