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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.

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: fan · capital · rock · patient · board · bass · perch · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bass — low music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rule — government
  9. rock — music
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. board — a committee
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. perch — the fish
  18. board — to get on
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — a supporter

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