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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 · racket · mug · chair · patient · board · file · toast

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a committee
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pit — a hole
  15. file — a document
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chair — a leader
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. file — a line of people

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