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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: deal · board · tube · content · cell · patient · kick · object

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. board — a committee
  3. object — a thing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. content — happy
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. object — an aim
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. tube — a container
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. object — to protest
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. content — the amount

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