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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
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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: chip · pitcher · tear · row · current · bark · bore · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. row — a line
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — to eat
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bark — to shout
  14. tear — to rip
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — for betting
  18. current — electric
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tear — from crying

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