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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: ground · kid · dip · staff · pop · patient · board · kick

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. pop — music
  2. kid — child
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kick — in football
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ground — the earth
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pop — soda
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ground — a position
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pop — to visit
  20. board — to get on
  21. staff — employees
  22. ground — crushed
  23. board — a committee
  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