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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bear — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. object — an aim
  7. charge — a price
  8. track — a path
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. track — to keep track
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. object — to protest
  15. charge — electricity
  16. perch — the fish
  17. spring — of water
  18. object — a thing
  19. spring — a coil
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. spring — the season
  22. charge — in control
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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