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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: patient · ruler · board · stick · row · root · sharp · stand

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. root — of a word
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. sharp — clever
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — the cause
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. row — a line
  21. root — of a plant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. row — to paddle

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