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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.

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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
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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: key · board · bark · rush · game · patient · fan · land

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. land — a country
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. land — ground
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. key — in music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. board — to get on
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. key — the most important part
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — hurry
  22. board — a committee
  23. land — to come down
  24. game — a match

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