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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. net — in sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. field — for sport
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. suit — to fit
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wake — a trail
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. patient — a sick person

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