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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: season · firm · bear · rest · patient · march · bark · cue

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. season — in sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — the animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. season — of the year
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. cue — for pool
  17. firm — decided
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cue — a signal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cue — a hint

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