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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: cabinet · wound · pound · patient · ball · fan · bark · rock

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — music
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ball — a great time

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