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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 116 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: pitcher · board · stand · kick · patient · calf · court · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. court — of law
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. row — a line
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — to get on
  11. court — of a king
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stand — to bear
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. court — for sport
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kick — in football

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