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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. court — of a king
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. court — of law
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. court — for sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bank — of a river
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cap — a lid
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — a hat

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