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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 116 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: rush · can · bark · pitcher · field · bass · ball · patient

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. field — a subject
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. field — farmland
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — low music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. field — for sport

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