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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. branch — a division
  7. bass — low music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mine — for digging
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. land — a country
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — to come down
  19. scale — in music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. land — ground
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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