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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: board · cap · patient · foot · track · sharp · hand · pitcher

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. hand — in cards
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — to get on
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. hand — help
  11. track — a song
  12. sharp — clever
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. board — a committee
  24. cap — of ice

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