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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: sharp · foot · patient · prune · bowl · nail · bark · coach

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. foot — a measure
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. sharp — clever
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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