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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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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 · scale · patient · chest · root · tube · pit · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. tube — a container
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. scale — in music
  8. chest — a box
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pit — in a race
  15. scale — size or range
  16. root — the cause
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. root — of a word
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  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