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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — to tire
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bark — to shout
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cell — a phone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bore — to drill
  24. racket — a loud noise

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