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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — a skill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ball — a dance
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cold — not warm
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lean — thin
  16. scale — in music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. lean — to bend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. craft — boats
  23. cold — an illness
  24. lean — to rest against

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