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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 · bat · pitcher · root · cap · patient · toast · ball

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. toast — bread
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. root — the cause
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a great time
  15. board — to get on
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cap — a lid
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cap — a hat
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. board — a committee
  24. ball — a dance

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