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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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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: drill · club · bay · bark · arm · pop · press · patient

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pop — to visit
  5. press — to push
  6. drill — army training
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — a group
  14. pop — soda
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. club — for golf
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pop — music
  24. drill — the tool

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