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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 · suit · pitcher · patient · rush · hide · board · land

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. suit — to fit
  4. land — a country
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. land — to come down
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. land — ground

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