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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: fork · capital · fine · pass · patient · kick · board · rest

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — a break
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fine — all right
  8. capital — money
  9. kick — in football
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. capital — a city
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. board — a committee
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. board — to get on
  23. fine — high quality
  24. patient — a sick person

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