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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. current — of water
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mug — to rob
  7. current — happening now
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mug — a face
  18. pop — soda
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pop — music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pitcher — a jug

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