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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: pit · patient · hand · lean · field · board · object · club

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lean — thin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — a group
  5. object — a thing
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — in a race
  8. board — to get on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. object — to protest
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. board — a committee
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hand — help
  22. field — farmland
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. hand — in cards

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