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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: band · patient · board · sharp · game · present · saw · bulb

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. band — a music group
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — there
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — to get on
  16. band — a ring
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — a match
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. game — wild animals
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. board — a committee
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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