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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a great time
  4. roll — a cake
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. roll — a list
  7. field — a subject
  8. bark — to shout
  9. net — for catching
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. field — farmland
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. net — after costs
  14. field — for sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bear — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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