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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.

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: dip · net · degree · leaves · spring · bark · pit · patient

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spring — of water
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pit — a hole
  10. degree — temperature
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. spring — the season
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. net — for catching
  19. degree — from a university
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. dip — to sink
  23. net — after costs
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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