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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 · sharp · racket · suit · patient · scale · face · ground

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — crushed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. ground — a position
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. scale — in music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. scale — size or range
  17. suit — to fit
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ground — the earth
  20. suit — clothes
  21. face — part of the head
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. suit — in cards
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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