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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — goods
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fine — high quality

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