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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 116 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: patient · present · fork · wax · pitcher · ground · board · mark

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — to get on
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ground — the earth
  8. present — a gift
  9. fork — in a road
  10. board — a committee
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — there
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. present — the time now
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — crushed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitcher — a jug

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