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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: band · degree · track · cabinet · patient · kid · bark · bay

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. degree — temperature
  5. track — a path
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — a song
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. degree — an amount
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. track — to keep track
  17. band — a music group
  18. kid — child
  19. band — a ring
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. kid — to tease

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