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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · patient · row · board · stick · pitcher · foot · root

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. board — to get on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a ring
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. row — to paddle
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — of a plant
  21. board — a committee
  22. row — a line
  23. foot — a measure
  24. patient — a sick person

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