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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 120 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: pop · mate · bark · deal · stand · key · patient · pitcher

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. key — in music
  4. pop — music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. key — for a lock
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mate — to breed
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pop — soda
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pitcher — a jug

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