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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — size or range
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tear — to rip
  8. present — the time now
  9. court — for sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of law
  18. rock — music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. present — there
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tear — from crying
  24. present — a gift

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