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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 120 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: board · file · lie · court · patient · net · stock · safe

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. board — to get on
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — after costs
  7. file — a tool
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — for sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. lie — to recline
  15. net — for catching
  16. court — of a king
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. court — of law
  19. file — a document
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. safe — out of danger

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