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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · racket · board · prune · pit · bark

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. object — a thing
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pit — a hole
  7. object — an aim
  8. board — to get on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. board — a committee
  11. object — to protest
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. prune — to trim

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