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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pop — soda
  3. bass — low music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pop — to visit
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pop — music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. prune — to trim
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bark — to shout

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