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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stem — to come from
  4. hand — in cards
  5. scale — in music
  6. land — ground
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hand — help
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. key — in music
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. land — a country
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stock — goods
  18. perch — the fish
  19. scale — size or range
  20. land — to come down
  21. stock — shares
  22. key — for a lock
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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