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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: board · patient · clip · rock · field · pound · fan · season

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — to get on
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. field — for sport
  7. clip — a video
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. clip — to cut
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rock — music
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — a weight
  19. field — a subject
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. field — farmland
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fan — a supporter

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