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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. net — in sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — final
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. net — for catching
  8. last — finally
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — size or range
  14. net — after costs
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bark — to shout
  18. present — a gift
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. last — to go on
  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