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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. hand — help
  3. bark — to shout
  4. present — the time now
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pop — music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pop — soda
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pop — to visit
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. present — there
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fine — all right
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — music
  24. fine — high quality

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