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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ground — a position
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chip — for betting
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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