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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · fan · plane · cue · kid · patient · mate · pitcher

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. board — a committee
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kid — child
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cue — for pool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cue — a signal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mate — a partner
  24. board — to get on

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