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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. scale — in music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wake — a trail
  13. scale — size or range
  14. toast — bread
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rock — music

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