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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. craft — boats
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chip — for betting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cell — in biology
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cell — a phone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chip — to eat
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. craft — a skill

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