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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.

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: patient · bark · board · mine · game · plane · calf · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. squash — to crush
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. game — a match
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. plane — a tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bark — to shout
  22. board — to get on
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — a young animal

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