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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — of water
  5. staff — employees
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bark — to shout
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. current — happening now
  17. staff — employees
  18. current — electric
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. row — to paddle
  21. ball — a great time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. staff — a stick

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