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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. current — electric
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. scale — in music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — for money
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. scale — size or range
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. perch — for a bird

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