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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. race — the arms race
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. race — humankind
  9. suit — clothes
  10. race — a contest
  11. suit — to fit
  12. field — a subject
  13. deal — to handle
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. bark — to shout
  24. scale — in music

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