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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — soda
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pop — music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bound — tied together
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wake — a trail
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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