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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
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: bark · pitcher · mouse · patient · rash · charge · spring · track

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bark — to shout
  4. spring — of water
  5. charge — in control
  6. spring — a coil
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — a series
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a song
  16. spring — the season
  17. charge — a price
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rash — hasty

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