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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · can · pit · straw · firm · bark · ball · patient

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ball — a great time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. firm — a company
  5. can — to be able to
  6. key — the most important part
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — in music
  10. firm — decided
  11. bark — to shout
  12. key — for a lock
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pit — a hole
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pit — in a race
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. can — a tin
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a dance
  24. firm — steady

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