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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: pound · patient · fan · fine · wave · perch · board · present

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — all right
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — a gift
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. board — a committee
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. board — to get on

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