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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. scale — size or range
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cap — of ice
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — to paddle
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. game — wild animals
  14. roll — a cake
  15. scale — in music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. game — a match
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cap — a lid
  22. roll — a list
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cap — a hat

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