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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: fine · patient · current · pitch · bass · fork · pop · bark

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. current — happening now
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fine — all right
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pop — soda
  17. bass — low music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. current — electric
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — of water
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bass — the fish

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