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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. game — a match
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bark — to shout
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bulb — for light
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. staff — employees
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. staff — employees

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