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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kid — child
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. scale — in music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. game — wild animals
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rock — music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. game — a match

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