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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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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: band · board · cue · bay · bat · stem · patient · perch

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. band — a ring
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. board — to get on
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stem — to come from
  19. board — a committee
  20. perch — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a music group
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bat — for baseball

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