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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: race · net · straw · patient · pitcher · pass · dip · board

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. race — humankind
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. race — the arms race
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. net — for catching
  12. board — a committee
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. net — in sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. net — after costs
  19. dip — to sink
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. race — a contest
  24. pass — to succeed

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