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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. row — to paddle
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — happy
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. row — a line
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. content — the amount
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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