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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 · fine · patient · game · fan · stem · band · straw

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. game — a match
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. board — to get on
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a ring
  17. stem — to come from
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. board — a committee
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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