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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.

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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 · stand · game · bass · cue · patient · lie · fork

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. game — a match
  4. bass — low music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cue — a signal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. game — wild animals

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