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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pass — a permit
  10. net — after costs
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. court — for sport
  13. board — a committee
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — of a king
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. court — of law
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — a sauce

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