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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 124 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rest — a break
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pit — a hole
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bound — tied together
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — goods
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — in a race
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rest — what's left

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