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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — a line
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — to keep track
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — a path
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — in music
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. row — a quarrel

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