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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bark — to shout
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rock — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. face — part of the head
  11. capital — money
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. capital — a city
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wind — moving air
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. face — to confront
  24. bark — of a tree

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