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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pitch — completely
  9. prune — to trim
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — in music
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cold — not warm
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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