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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: board · patient · drill · vault · net · content · sharp · perch

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — after costs
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. vault — a safe
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. net — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — for catching
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. drill — the tool

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