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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bark — to shout
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitch — completely
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. root — the cause
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. kid — to tease
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. patient — a sick person

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