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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — in music
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cue — a hint
  6. tear — to rip
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. branch — a division
  10. pound — a weight
  11. track — a song
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tear — from crying
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tear — from crying
  24. scale — size or range

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