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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. net — in sport
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. net — for catching
  14. branch — a division
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kick — in football
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. net — after costs

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