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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. scale — in music
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bound — certain
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stock — shares
  16. cell — in biology
  17. board — a committee
  18. bound — obliged
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stock — goods
  22. scale — size or range
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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