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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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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: bark · racket · perch · cold · rock · patient · temple · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — music
  7. bark — to shout
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cold — not warm
  16. perch — the fish
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cold — an illness
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. temple — side of the head

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