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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: nail · bowl · fork · chip · net · last · stand · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. net — in sport
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. last — finally
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chip — for betting
  13. last — final
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. last — to go on
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chip — to eat
  20. net — after costs
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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