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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: bark · patient · calf · perch · swing · cue · mug · fork

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mug — to rob
  8. swing — music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mug — a face
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bark — to shout
  21. swing — in golf
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cue — for pool

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