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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · branch · club · rest · toast · patient · current · pitcher

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. toast — bread
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bark — to shout
  7. club — a group
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. club — for golf
  18. rest — what's left
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rest — a break
  24. branch — a division

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