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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mug — a cup
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a face
  5. content — the amount
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pound — a weight
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mug — to rob
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pound — for dogs

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