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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ground — the earth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. track — a song
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. scale — in music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stand — to bear
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. scale — size or range

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