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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
468
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: mine · bowl · board · patient · hand · file · firm · deal

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. file — a document
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. firm — decided
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. firm — steady
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mine — for digging
  16. firm — a company
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hand — in cards
  21. deal — to handle
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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