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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: club · object · pound · racket · bark · season · patient · mouse

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — a group
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pound — a weight
  15. club — for dancing
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. season — of the year
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. season — in sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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