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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. spring — the season
  4. scale — in music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spring — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pitch — completely
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bark — to shout
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. charge — a price

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