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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 116 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: march · patient · ground · bark · wave · track · chip · hide

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ground — a position
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ground — the earth
  5. march — the month
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — for betting
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — crushed
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. march — music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bark — to shout
  19. track — a path
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. march — the month
  24. bark — of a tree

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