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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spell — letters
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spell — a short time
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitch — completely
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. key — the most important part
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bark — to shout
  20. suit — to fit
  21. key — in music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bound — certain
  24. spell — magic

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