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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — the time now
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — music
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bank — of a river
  11. present — there
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — a gift
  15. scale — in music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — for light
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. staff — employees

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