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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. band — a ring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pound — a weight
  23. scale — size or range
  24. band — a music group

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