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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bass — the fish
  4. squash — the sport
  5. hand — help
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pop — music
  14. rash — hasty
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — low music
  17. rash — a series
  18. squash — to crush
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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