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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: jam · patient · wake · staff · pit · bear · bark · net

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pit — a hole
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. staff — employees
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — for catching
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bear — the animal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. net — in sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. net — after costs
  24. patient — a sick person

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