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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bank — for money
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. band — a ring
  9. scale — size or range
  10. root — of a word
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — of a river
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. game — wild animals
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. root — the cause
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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