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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: cabinet · sharp · degree · fall · board · ball · bark · patient

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bark — to shout
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fall — the season
  8. board — to get on
  9. degree — temperature
  10. ball — a dance
  11. sharp — clever
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ball — a great time
  14. degree — from a university
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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