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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.

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: ball · trunk · calf · board · band · patient · game · kid

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ball — a great time
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. game — wild animals
  7. board — a committee
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. band — a music group
  10. ball — a dance
  11. board — to get on
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. band — a ring
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kid — child
  24. game — a match

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