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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.

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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: wake · patient · ground · craft · bark · pass · firm · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. firm — a company
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. firm — steady
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ground — the earth
  22. firm — decided
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bark — of a tree

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