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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hand — help
  6. track — a song
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. hand — in cards
  9. track — a path
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — a cup
  14. suit — in cards
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bark — to shout
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mug — a face
  20. chair — a leader
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hand — part of the body

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