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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — in music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fall — the season
  6. cue — for pool
  7. craft — a skill
  8. scale — size or range
  9. field — a subject
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cue — a signal
  14. field — farmland
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. field — for sport
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. craft — boats
  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