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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: tube · deal · patient · leaves · clip · board · bay · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. clip — for paper
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. clip — to cut
  7. tube — a container
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. board — to get on
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. clip — a video
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. board — a committee
  24. tube — the underground

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