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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. current — happening now
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. current — of water
  6. ground — a position
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stock — shares
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ball — a dance
  14. present — the time now
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stock — goods
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wake — a trail
  22. current — electric
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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