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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — a hat
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ground — a position
  6. root — the cause
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ground — crushed
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. branch — a division
  12. root — of a word
  13. club — for golf
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lie — to recline
  17. scale — size or range
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. root — of a plant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. scale — in music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. club — a group

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