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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fine — all right
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — a tin
  9. mug — a face
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ground — the earth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ground — a position
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fine — a penalty

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