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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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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. track — a song
  3. sharp — clever
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. perch — the fish
  9. track — a path
  10. board — a committee
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. can — a tin
  16. board — to get on
  17. face — to point toward
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — to keep track
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. sharp — with an edge

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