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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. court — of law
  6. ball — a dance
  7. court — of a king
  8. ball — a great time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bank — for money
  12. file — a document
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. court — for sport
  18. scale — size or range
  19. file — a line of people
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — in music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a tool

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