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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cap — a hat
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — size or range
  6. game — a match
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rock — music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. scale — in music
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rock — a stone
  24. jam — a tight spot

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