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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chip — to eat
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. present — a gift
  7. bark — to shout
  8. perch — the fish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mug — a cup
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mug — a face
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — there
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — for betting
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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