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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.

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: pitcher · board · patient · race · mine · roll · rest · mark

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. roll — a list
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — to get on
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rest — a break
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — a contest
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. race — humankind
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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