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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 116 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fall — the season
  3. firm — decided
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. field — for sport
  6. firm — steady
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. key — in music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fall — to drop
  14. current — electric
  15. fall — to drop
  16. current — happening now
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bark — to shout
  19. firm — a company
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — a subject
  22. current — of water
  23. field — farmland
  24. key — the most important part

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