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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: bark · patient · chip · ruler · plane · bay · field · date

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chip — to eat
  7. field — a subject
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. field — for sport
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. plane — a tool
  23. field — farmland
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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