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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mate — to breed
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mate — a partner
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. track — a song
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pound — a weight
  15. track — to keep track
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mate — a friend
  18. drill — army training
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. track — a path
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. dip — to sink

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