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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. bank — for money
  2. object — to protest
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lean — thin
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. craft — boats
  10. object — a thing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lean — to bend
  17. object — an aim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. scale — in music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. craft — a skill
  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