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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.

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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 · cue · tear · pitcher · mate · patient · charge · lean

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bark — to shout
  13. charge — a price
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mate — to breed
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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