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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. present — there
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tube — a container
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. present — a gift
  15. rash — a series
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bark — to shout
  24. tube — in a tire

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