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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.

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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: court · foot · prune · field · patient · rest · safe · bark

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. field — farmland
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. court — of law
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. foot — a measure
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. field — a subject
  16. prune — to trim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. court — for sport
  21. field — for sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. court — of a king
  24. bark — to shout

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