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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 116 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: board · racket · patient · firm · bark · mark · hide · pitcher

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. board — to get on
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. firm — a company
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. board — a committee
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mark — a grade

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