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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I'll be taking 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. hand — help
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. board — a committee
  5. tube — a container
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. foot — a measure
  9. season — in sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. board — to get on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. season — of the year
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. hand — in cards
  23. tube — the underground
  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