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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: patient · bark · club · bear · court · bass · spring · pitch

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. club — for golf
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bear — the animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spring — of water
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. club — a group
  23. bark — of a tree
  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