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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: dip · patient · rock · board · fork · row · arm · land

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rock — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rock — a stone
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. land — to come down
  9. board — to get on
  10. row — to paddle
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. land — ground
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. dip — to sink
  15. board — a committee
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. land — a country
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. row — a line
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fork — to eat with

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