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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · object · lean · bark · club · march · row · prune

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — to protest
  3. club — a group
  4. prune — to trim
  5. row — a line
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — to paddle
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. march — music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. object — an aim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. object — a thing
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. march — the month
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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