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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · patient · key · pitcher · fine · fan · can · rash

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — to get on
  6. fine — all right
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fine — high quality
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — a committee
  23. key — in music
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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