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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mark — a trace
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hand — help
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — in cards
  24. prune — to trim

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