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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bass — low music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the fish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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