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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.

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: board · bark · racket · patient · mine · prune · lean · squash

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — to trim
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. squash — the sport
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lean — to bend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — a committee
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lean — thin
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. squash — to crush
  24. board — to get on

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