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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: bay · fine · club · season · bark · chest · drill · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. drill — a practice
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. season — in sport
  5. club — a group
  6. bark — to shout
  7. drill — army training
  8. fine — all right
  9. chest — a box
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fine — high quality
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chest — of your body
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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