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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. field — farmland
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the fish
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — the cause
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bass — low music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wound — an injury

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