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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. track — a path
  3. pop — music
  4. last — to go on
  5. fine — high quality
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — soda
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. suit — clothes
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. last — final
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fine — all right
  24. last — finally

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