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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 120 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: rock · mouse · present · chest · bark · patient · fine · chip

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fine — all right
  5. chest — of your body
  6. present — the time now
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — music
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chest — a box
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. present — there
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. present — a gift
  24. chest — of your body

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