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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: patient · stand · swing · chip · row · board · rock · bat

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rock — a stone
  3. swing — to play on
  4. board — to get on
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rock — music
  7. row — a line
  8. bat — the animal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. row — to paddle
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. swing — in golf
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chip — in a computer

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