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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.

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: field · suit · patient · wound · bark · calf · deal · march

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. field — for sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bark — to shout
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. march — music
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wound — an injury
  14. deal — to handle
  15. suit — clothes
  16. field — a subject
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — the month
  19. wound — an injury
  20. field — farmland
  21. suit — to fit
  22. march — the month
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. patient — a sick person

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