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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. season — of the year
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rush — hurry
  8. key — in music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. chair — a leader
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mark — a grade
  16. season — in sport
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. key — for a lock
  21. deal — to handle
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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