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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: patient · squash · ball · board · firm · trunk · bore · charge

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bore — to drill
  3. squash — the sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. ball — a great time
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. firm — steady
  8. charge — a price
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. board — a committee
  13. charge — electricity
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ball — a dance
  18. board — to get on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. charge — in control
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bore — gave birth

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