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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 116 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: cell · bay · cue · sharp · bark · band · track · patient

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — a song
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. band — a ring
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a music group
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cell — in biology

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