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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: patient · bark · kick · scale · pop · fan · root · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — to shout
  4. scale — in music
  5. bound — certain
  6. root — the cause
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bound — obliged
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — in football
  22. root — of a word
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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