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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: mine · patient · file · press · racket · bear · bark · coach

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mine — for digging
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. file — a tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. press — to push
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bark — to shout
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. file — a line of people

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