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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. game — a match
  5. saw — the tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rest — a break
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — wild animals
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. scale — in 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