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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: bark · drill · pound · staff · stand · wave · patient · ball

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. ball — a great time
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. drill — army training
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. staff — employees
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. patient — a sick person

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