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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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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: mate · bay · stem · board · roll · file · patient · racket

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mate — a partner
  4. roll — a list
  5. stem — to come from
  6. file — a tool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mate — a friend
  9. board — to get on
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. roll — a cake
  16. file — a document
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — to breed
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a committee

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