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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: bear · bark · coach · toast · patient · mouse · chip · saw

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. toast — bread
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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