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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 120 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
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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: patient · track · content · temple · mug · bark · tube · scale

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bark — to shout
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mug — to rob
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. content — happy
  8. scale — in music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tube — the underground
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. track — a path
  17. content — the amount
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — a song
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tube — a container
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — in a tire

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