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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ground — a position
  3. toast — bread
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to click
  7. deal — to handle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bark — to shout
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ground — the earth
  15. charge — electricity
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ground — crushed
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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