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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.

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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bore — to tire
  6. chair — a leader
  7. tube — a container
  8. cap — of ice
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tube — the underground

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