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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. drill — army training
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitch — completely
  13. field — farmland
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pit — in a race
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — a hole

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