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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · rock · board · clip · mark · kid · net · fine

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. kid — child
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — a committee
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rock — music
  10. clip — to cut
  11. net — after costs
  12. mark — a grade
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. net — in sport
  15. clip — a video
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — for catching
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. clip — for paper

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