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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. track — a song
  2. scale — in music
  3. shower — to wash
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. track — a path
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. date — the fruit
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. track — to keep track
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wind — moving air
  23. shower — rain
  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