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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: firm · present · stand · cold · net · bark · bulb · patient

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. present — there
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. present — the time now
  5. firm — decided
  6. net — for catching
  7. firm — steady
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cold — not warm
  10. net — in sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cold — an illness
  13. net — after costs
  14. firm — a company
  15. present — a gift
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bark — to shout

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