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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
468
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: field · bore · board · patient · chair · cell · game · suit

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. field — for sport
  4. suit — clothes
  5. game — a match
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. suit — in cards
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. field — farmland
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bore — to drill
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. suit — to fit
  21. board — to get on
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chair — a leader

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