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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bark — to shout
  11. net — in sport
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. net — for catching
  18. pound — a weight
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. net — after costs
  22. cue — a signal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. racket — a loud noise

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