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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. suit — clothes
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spring — a coil
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spring — of water
  15. suit — to fit
  16. land — a country
  17. can — to be able to
  18. land — to come down
  19. dip — to sink
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — the season
  22. suit — in cards
  23. scale — size or range
  24. land — ground

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