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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: nail · foot · fan · game · row · board · ground · patient

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. game — wild animals
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. board — to get on
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ground — the earth
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. row — a line
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. foot — a measure
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — a match
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — a position
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. board — a committee
  24. ground — crushed

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