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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bark — to shout
  4. track — to keep track
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. track — a song
  11. pass — a permit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a path
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bore — to drill
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lean — thin

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