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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: stick · content · stand · patient · safe · roll · bark · cabinet

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — the amount
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. content — happy

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