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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. firm — steady
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. march — the month
  7. bark — to shout
  8. current — electric
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. current — happening now
  15. pass — a permit
  16. march — the month
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. march — music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. firm — a company
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. current — of water
  23. firm — decided
  24. patient — a sick person

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