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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: tube · board · staff · patient · kick · band · suit · club

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a ring
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. board — a committee
  6. tube — a container
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. board — to get on
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kick — in football
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. club — a group
  13. suit — to fit
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. staff — a stick
  17. club — for dancing
  18. tube — the underground
  19. band — a music group
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. club — for golf
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. band — a rubber band

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